Put the parsley, capers, the whole garlic clove, the lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper into a food processor or blender. Pulse just to chop, six to eight times. With the machine running, add the 1/2 cup oil in a thin stream to make a slightly coarse puree. Leave this salsa verde in the food processor; if necessary, pulse to re-emulsify just before serving.

In a large frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over moderate heat. Season the chicken breasts with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and the thyme and put them in the hot pan. Cook the chicken until brown, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until almost done, about 3 minutes longer. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let steam 5 minutes. Serve the breasts with their juices and then the salsa verde poured over the top.

1. Place hash browns in a single layer in a greased 9 x 13 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and ham or sausage. 2. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard. Pour over cheese and meat. Cover and bake at 350°F for one hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer until edges are golden brown. Check if done by inserting knife. If it comes out clean, breakfast is ready to eat.

Microwave baking bars in uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The bars may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring until melted.

Dip matzos about halfway into melted baking bars; shake off excess. Place on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with coconut, if desired. Refrigerate until set. Store in covered container at room temperature.

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until just fork tender; drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in evaporated milk, water and 1/3 cup bacon. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese and green onion.

Layer half of potatoes in ungreased 3-quart microwave-safe dish. Pour half of sauce over potatoes. Top with remaining potatoes and sauce. Top with remaining cheese and bacon. Microwave uncovered on HIGH (100%) power for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

1. Whisk two eggs lightly in a bowl with a dash of salt, freshly milled black pepper and chopped herbs.2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the eggs and stir until the egg softly sets.3. Serve immediately on half a toasted muffin, topped with a couple of rashers of grilled bacon, tomato ketchup and a chive garnish.

French toast with plum compote

This is such an easy and delicious way of serving eggs for breakfast. Cut the bread from an unsliced loaf so you can make it really chunky. The compote can be served warm, freshly poached or made a day in advance for eating cold. Serve topped with spoonfuls of natural yogurt.

1. Halve and stone the plums and put in a small saucepan with 1 tbsp of the honey, cinnamon stick and water. Cover and heat very gently for about 5 mins until the plums are soft but not falling apart.2. Beat the remaining honey with the eggs and milk. Put the bread slices in a single layer on a dinner plate. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and leave to stand for 10 mins until absorbed.3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, preferably non-stick. Halve or quarter the bread slices diagonally and add to the pan. Fry gently for 1-2 mins on each side until golden.4. Drain onto serving plates and sprinkle with the sugar. Serve with the plum compote.

1.Mix together the melted butter and egg. Then, stir in the muesli, flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and milk. Use your hands to make the mixture into a dough. Grease and flour a baking sheet.2. Use a bit of flour to roll out the dough, or if you prefer, roll the dough out between two sheets of baking parchment. Flour the cutters and cut out the letters. For the 'O', you can substitute a round cutter and a very small heart cutter, from a set.3. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and chill for 30 mins.4. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 170°C/gas mark 5). Bake the biscuits for 10-12 mins. Transfer to a rack to cool.5. For the icing, mix together the icing sugar and egg white. Divide this up into 3 bowls, and colour each bowl with your chosen colours. Spoon the icing into your icing bags, and use straightaway or store until ready to use.6. When the biscuits are cool, spread over the base colour. Allow this to dry for 10 mins, before piping on top of it, otherwise the icing will bleed into each other. Decorate with spots, stripes, squiggles or any other pattern before presenting to your mum!

Cook's tip: It is best to use paste food colours to get the intensity of colour, although the liquid ones are also fine. Dried egg white is widely available from supermarkets - look in the home-baking aisle.Equipment guide: Cara, the recipe creator, found cutters on a special baking website, www.cakecraftshop.co.uk. You will also need disposable icing bags, or you can cut the corner off a food bag, fill with icing and squeeze gently.

1.Mix together the muesli, wheatgerm, sugar and cream in a bowl and leave to soak together for at least 1 hr.2. To put the dish together, preheat the oven to 170°C (fan 180°C/ gas mark 5). Spread out a piece of foil on a baking tray to make a parcel, and spoon the mango and strawberry in the middle. Drizzle over the honey, and seal up the parcel.3. Bake for 15 mins until the juices start to run.4. Meanwhile, heat up the muesli base over gentle heat in a small pan. To serve, divide the muesli base between 2 plates, and spoon over the warm fruit. Serve immediately.

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm/8in cake tin. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition. Fold in the flour, baking powder, orange rind and juice. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin.2. Bake in the oven for 11/4-11/2 hours or until golden brown and springy. Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 mins before turning on to a wire rack to finish cooling.3. For the coating, heat the cream in a saucepan (but do not boil) and pour over the white chocolate. Mix it gently with a wooden spoon until smooth and glossy. Pour over the cake, and spread on the top and sides with a palette knife.4. Transfer to a serving plate and put in the fridge to set for 15 mins.5. Decorate with the rose petals, macaroons and fruit just before serving.

Top tip: To crystallise rose petals, wash edible petals and dry with kitchen paper. Dip half of the petal in lightly beaten egg white then dip in sugar. Dry on a wire rack.

A few simple ingredients make a sumptuous soup. Be sure to use a high-quality cheddar; it's crucial to the dish's flavor. Choose a yellow cheese for the richest color. For a chunkier soup, skip the pureeing and just break up some of the potato with a spoon.

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat or, if you don't have 2 tablespoons, add enough cooking oil to make up the amount. Reduce the heat to moderately low.

Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove half the soup from the pan and puree in a food processor. Alternatively, mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher. Return the puree to the pan. Over low heat, add the cheese and stir until melted. Remove the pan from the heat. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed. Serve the soup topped with the bacon and chives.

VEGETABLE TIP:Boiling potatoes have less starch than baking, or Idaho, potatoes and consequentially hold together better when boiled. This is why they're often used in soups and for potato salads. Not in this soup, though. Since we want some of the potato to break down into smaller pieces and thicken the soup, baking potatoes are the perfect choice.

Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost cake. Now for the fun part, drag fork across cake so that the cake is crumbly. Pour remaining 1/2 cup Nesquik over cake and stir well to form a cakey "dough."

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to moderate and stir in the chicken strips. Cook until they are no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Add the jalapenos, the tomatoes with their juice, and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Uncover the saucepan and stir in the beans and black pepper. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes longer. Serve topped with the cilantro.

Menu Suggestions

Wedges of corn bread are always a good complement to chili. Or serve the chili over macaroni or rice.

FOR THE BREAD CRUMBS:Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

FOR THE PASTA AND CHEESE:Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

Dip chicken pieces in beaten eggsThen turn them over in regular bread crumbs (commercial)Finally plunge them in the flour-spices mixture (above)

Heat oven to 350 degreesPlace chicken in a tray and cover with foil (shiny side out)Cook 40 minutes.Remove the foil then cook for another 40 minutesBaste lightly with oil 5 minutes before the endLet stand 5 minutes and serve.

MICROWAVE potatoes and parsnip in covered, medium microwave-safe casserole dish on HIGH (100%) power for 9 minutes; drain. Return to dish; top with broccoli.

MELT 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in evaporated milk, bouillon and pepper; cook stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until bouillon is dissolved and sauce is slightly thickened. Pour sauce over vegetables.

MICROWAVE remaining butter in small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 10 to 20 seconds or until melted. Stir in bread crumbs until combined. Sprinkle over vegetables; cover.

BAKE for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake for additional 10 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Place steaks on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3-inches from heat. Broil 13 to 16 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once.

One to two minutes before steaks are done, top evenly with topping.

Season with salt; sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Tip: To grill, place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. One minute before steaks are done, top evenly with topping.

1. Add 2 tbsp oil to the wok. Heat, coat the wok and stir fry the pork until tender and crispy. Remove and set aside.2. Add the remaining oil to the wok, heat and add the ginger and then the garlic. Stir fry for a few seconds until the aroma is released. Then add the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce.3. Add the cabbage and stir fry for 30 seconds until wilted. Then add the mushrooms, stir fry for a further 30 seconds to 1 minute until tender.4. Return the pork to the wok, add the noodles and spring onions and stir fry until warmed through and combined - add a couple of tablespoons of water or stock if needed. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.

For the sauce:200ml chicken stock2 heads of broccoli, cut into small florets, cooked300g cooked pasta ribbons

1. Cook the onion and garlic in a little oil to soften, about 10 minutes.2. Place the mince, cooked onion, pine nuts, lemon zest, olive oil, breadcrumbs, and 1 tbsp of whipping cream into a bowl and mix well. Season well with salt and pepper.3. Form into 20 small balls, then chill well.4. To make the sauce, boil the chicken stock and lemon juice to reduce by two-thirds. Add the remaining cream and reboil, the sauce should thicken straight away. You may need to add a touch of stock if the sauce thickens too much. Season well with salt and pepper, and keep warm.5. Place a couple of tablespoons of oil into a non-stick frying pan.6. Add the meatballs and gently cook for 15 minutes to lightly brown and cook through. Serve with warm pasta and broccoli. Spoon over the hot lemon sauce.